Youth,climate change and visions of the future in Miami

ABSTRACT

Miami, FL, is one of the most climate-vulnerable cities in the United States. At an average elevation of only 6 feet above sea level, parts of the city could be made uninhabitable by rising oceans within the next 40 years. The effects of climate change are already beginning to be seen, but the subject of climate change is nevertheless modelled, imagined and contested in the future tense. Today's young people are similarly future oriented, but unlike older generations they will live to feel climate change's full future effects. This study investigates knowledge of and experiences with climate change among young adults in Miami, and their visions of the future in light of predicted changes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 long-term residents of the city between the ages of 18 and 30 who were students at Miami-Dade College or Florida International University. I discuss participants’ sense of personal responsibility to inform themselves and the individualised understandings of climate science that emerge, their disillusionment with politics and resulting perception of individual responsibility for climate mitigation, and their negotiation of personal future plans in light of fatalistic visions of the future. These young adults’ perspectives on rising seas in their home city are revealed to be socially structured by ideals of individual agency and self-reliance, which become paradoxically disempowering because of the impossibility of addressing the transformational impacts of climate change through individualised means.     

Does size matter? Comparing the party politics of climate change in Australia and Norway

ABSTRACT

The implications of state size for the party politics of climate change are examined, and in particular its effect in facilitating or impeding cross-party consensus on the issue. This issue is explored through an in-depth, qualitative comparison of Australia and Norway, which are shown to be comparable in important respects yet differ in terms of their size and climate politics. Original primary data is presented from 44 interviews with policymakers and policy-shapers in both countries, which shows that, to the limited extent that state size moderates the parties’ behaviour, it is the countries’ geographical – not economic – size that matters. Institutional factors are found to play a more significant role, however, and the corporatist features of state-business cooperation, strong ENGOs and compensatory welfare arrangements are highlighted as particularly important.     

Constructing regional scenarios for sustainable agriculture in European Russia and Ukraine for 2000 to 2070

This study estimates the consequences of climate change on cropland with and without implementation of adaptation measures, paying special attention to the maintenance of soil organic carbon (C) stocks. We examine the possibility for regional sustainable agricultural management practice that combines both maintenance and gain in soil carbon level with profit maximization. Future scenarios of Regional Agricultural Production Systems (RAPS) were constructed for 2000–2070 based on linking the effects of global climate change, predicted change in productivity parameters for the main agricultural crops, land-use and soil database parameters. The RAPS were used to examine profitability and feasibility of alternative agricultural scenarios, based on an economic model. A number of recommendations for decision making were proposed based on an assessment of the efficiency of adaptation in animal husbandry and in the crop production sector, after analysis of current percentage of perennial grass in rotation in comparison with future economic scenarios. Figures in color are available at     

全球气候变化框架公约执行中的协商性谈判探讨

1992年联合国通过了《联合国气候变化框架公约》。在同年6月地球首脑会议上,155个国家签署了该公约。随着公约内容的具体化,围绕缔约国之间控制温室气体排放这个主议题,将展开政治、经济、法律、环境诸方面的分工协作以控制全球气候的变化。因此有必要在多边谈判和实施公约的工作中,讨论协商性谈判问题。本文探讨了该问题并就协商性谈判提出一些原则性建议。     

关于耕地总量动态平衡的思考

中国是一个人多地少的国家，伴随着80年代经济高速增长而加剧的人地矛盾已经成为区域可持续发展面临的一个重要问题。本文以大量的数据分析了自耕地总量动态平衡实施以来的1999-2001年耕地数量和质量的变化，其中用播面单产和复种指数来度量耕地质量，得出了我国总体耕地质量下降的结论，指出仅仅从数量上实施耕地总量动态平衡，保证不了我国粮食安全的需要。并在此基础上提出了相关的建议。     

有关全球气候变化问题上的公平性分析

从《联合国气候变化》了发，对人类社会应对气候变化中的“公平”性问题，从不同角度进行了系统讨论。对发展中国家和发达国家在公平原则下责任、义务及优先事项的差别进行了分析，提出并分析了以人均碳排放权相等为标准，到目标年（例2100年）各国人均碳排放量及过渡期内（例1990-2100）人均累积碳排放量两个趋同的碳排放权分配原则。     

气候变化和人类活动对历史时期黄河决溢的影响

本文统计分析了历史时期黄河决溢的变化。并从自然和人为因素两方面探讨其原因和规律。认为在湿润的气候时期黄河决溢频率增高,其原因是本地区高强度的暴雨造成了黄土高原严重的水土流失,从而使黄河中下游大量的泥沙沉积。人类特别是小冰期以来加强了对黄土高原的开发,破坏了原先的植被,从而造成了严重的水土流失,这是小冰期以来黄河决溢次数远远高于其它时期的主要原因。作者还认为在下世纪高温环境到来之际,黄河决溢的危险性大大增加。     

Equity Concerns over Climate Change Mitigation

As a complicated concept with ethical implications, equity or fairness in the field of climate change mitigation concerns the relations not only between individual human beings but also between human beings and the nature. In this paper, after the review of equity between individuals, market and non-market attributes of emissions rights are distinguished and discussed. Based on the argument of equal per capita emissions rights, three types of emissions rights and the concept of minimum emissions rights as social security are proposed.     

Flood policy reversal in australia

In 1977 the Government of New South Wales introduced a flood prone lands policy which attempted to break with the past emphasis on structural works. Cornerstones of the policy were the preparation of floodplain maps, and use of the 1:100 (100 year or 1%) flood to delineate floodplains and 1:20 flood for floodway definition. The fiscal and regulatory elements of the policy were to be applied more or less uniformly within the two zones. At first there was little effective opposition to the program, but this changed when large areas of Sydney, which had not been inundated since development, were mapped. Local government concern over issues of legal liability led to decisions which in turn prompted opposition to the policy from residents' action groups and property development interests. A perceived drop in property values provided the main motivation for action by residents. This pressure for change, which intensified just before the 1984 state election, saw the policy overturned.
The new policy gives local government greater responsibility for floodplain management. State authorities have withdrawn from floodplain mapping, although technical advice will continue to be provided, and there are no longer any uniform floodplain or floodway definitions. Policy implementation is to be guided by a Manual which attempts to define flood hazard in terms of both physical and social criteria.     

Ethical issues concerning potential global climate change on food production

Burning fossil fuel in the North American continent contributes more to the CO₂ global warming problem than in any other continent. The resulting climate changes are expected to alter food production. The overall changes in temperature, moisture, carbon dioxide, insect pests, plant pathogens, and weeds associated with global warming are projected to reduce food production in North America. However, in Africa, the projected slight rise in rainfall is encouraging, especially since Africa already suffers from severe shortages of rainfall. For all regions, a reduction in fossil fuel burning is vital. Adoption of sound ecological resource management, especially soil and water conservation and the prevention of deforestation, is important. Together, these steps will benefit agriculture, the environment, farmers, and society as a whole.